Construction Equipment

Caterpillar to Build New Excavator Factory in US

admin — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 00:23:56 +0000

In an effort to stay competitive, Caterpillar officials say, the company may move its Aurora excavating production to a new plant in the United States.

Executives at Caterpillar, the world's largest maker of bulldozers, met with employees in Aurora this week to explain that the idea to build a new facility in an as yet unnamed location is preliminary at this point and part of an ongoing analysis.

"We're taking a strategic look and studying the best approach to take long term," said Caterpillar spokesman Jim Dugan. "The excavator business is highly competitive."

About 250 of the 2,300 employees at the Aurora facility work on the hydraulic excavator assembly. The local plant also produces wheel loaders, soil and landfill compactors, wheel dozers and other components.

The company is "contemplating" constructing a free-standing building to assemble the hydraulic excavators. The new Caterpillar plant would house the assembly of the two excavator models currently built in Aurora and additional excavator models now produced in Japan and exported to the United States. The company also makes excavators in Belgium, Brazil, China, France, Indonesia and Russia.
"The thinking behind this is if a focused, stand alone facility in the United States to produce the excavators would be a better approach to take," Dugan said. "If the plan moves forward, three or four years down the road, we'd have a single facility that would produce a wider range of excavators."

Hydraulic excavators are widely used in applications around the world. If finalized and approved, the new U.S.-based factory would be the primary North American source for excavators, the company said. Under this scenario, Caterpillar's Akaski, Japan, excavator facility would have the available capacity needed to better serve customers in the rapidly expanding Asia-Pacific region.

2005 Caterpillar 307C SB Excavator Low Hours
US $45,500.00

2006 CATERPILLAR 3025C CAT EXCAVATOR LOADER BACKHOE
US $16,900.00

2005 Caterpillar 315CL Excavator plumbed coupler
US $74,500.00

2006 Caterpillar 303C CR Excavator Low Hrs
US $22,800.00

CATERPILLAR E110 B NOT A FARM TRACTORREADY TO WORK
US $25,500.00

Caterpillar CAT 315 BL Excavator
US $45,000.00

2003 Caterpillar 320CL ExcavatorLow hrs One owner
US $65,000.00

2005 Caterpillar CAT 307 CSB Excavator
US $46,000.00

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New Holland B Series Loader Backhoes Named in Construction Equipment’s Top 100 Products

admin — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 04:56:53 +0000

RACINE, WI, Mar 02, 2010 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- Construction Equipment magazine named the New Holland Construction B Series loader backhoes as one of the Top 100 Products of 2009. The six models in the B Series (B90B, B95B, B95B TC, B95B LR, B110B and B115B) were recognized in the heavy earthmoving category as some of the most innovative products.

The publication honored New Holland for the curved boom and one-touch flip-up hood featured on the new series of loader backhoes. The curved boom lowers the transport height by 6 inches and allows for greater digging forces and digging depths. The one-touch flip-up hood is easy to open, and provides wide, easy access for routine maintenance needs.

Construction Equipment editors annually select the 100 most exciting product introductions of the year. Advances in technology, new product lines, and significant improvement to existing products are considered to determine the top 100.

From digging or loading, to trenching or pushing, the B Series loader backhoes respond with the power and torque needed to get the job done fast. The six models range in gross horsepower from 95 to 110 (71 to 82 kW) and feature Tier 3-certified turbo-charged 4.5-liter engines. The loader backhoes excel in tough digging conditions, with loader breakout forces ranging from 12,169 lbs (5520 kg) to 15,212 lbs (6900 kg).

For product information, finance offers and more, please visit www.newholland.com. For a New Holland loader backhoe product demonstration, see your local New Holland dealer.
New Holland Construction manufactures and markets a full line of skid steer loaders, compact track loaders, loader backhoes, tractor loaders, excavators, compact and full-sized wheel loaders, crawler dozers, motor graders and telehandlers. More information is available at www.newholland.com.

BACKHOE DECALS CASE CAT JCB TEREX FORD NEW HOLLAND IH
US $95.00

New Holland Skid Ster Model 555
US $6,000.00

New Holland 4 Wheel Drive 555e 555 E Back Hoe Backhoe
US $16,500.00

Skid Steer Loader Excavator Backhoe Bobcat Attachment
US $2,225.00

Backhoe Loader New Holland LB75 B
US $19,250.00

1999 New Holland Ford 555E backhoe loader NO RESERVE
US $10,100.00

Small Caterpillar loaders get new control system

admin — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:34:19 +0000

Recognizing that the operating skill of workers using small loaders on typical jobsites ranges from the novice to the expert, Caterpillar has developed a new control feature that allows each operator to run a Cat C-Series Skid-Steer, Multi-Terrain or Compact-Track Loader safely, productively, and comfortably. The new Hystat Response Control System (HRCS) uses software that permits the loader's hydrostatic drive/steer system to be adjusted to one of three response rates—standard, intermediate or maximum—to determine how rapidly the machine accelerates/decelerates and how quickly it responds to steering commands.

Each of the new control system's successive settings results in more aggressive response, permitting skilled operators to use the machine to its full potential, but also accommodating operators of lesser experience. The net result is that jobsite tasks are handled efficiently and productively—no matter who is in the seat.

The HRCS standard setting provides acceleration/deceleration rates that feel smooth and controlled, as does steering response. In the intermediate setting, the machine will start and stop more quickly, and steering-response lag is diminished. When operated in the maximum setting, the loader will accelerate aggressively in forward, will stop abruptly and will respond instantaneously to steering commands.

C-Series loaders equipped with the Cat Advanced Machine Information and Control System (AMICS) option allow the operator to select one of the three response rates from the monitor in the cab. A visual indicator (one, two or three bars) indicates the selected setting. Non-AMICS equipped machines can be programmed with one of the three response rates via the Cat Electronic Technician system. The only cost involved for machines in service may be that of a nominal charge by the dealer for programming.

Owners of non-AMICS-equipped machines can capitalize on full HRCS potential, however, by adding an AMICS kit. The kit typically is installed in about an hour by the Cat dealer and has a list price of approximately $700. Equipping a Cat C-Series loader with the AMICS kit not only allows full use of HRCS capability, but also enhances the operator's control of the machine by providing features such as Implement Speed Control and Work Speed Control (creep mode), as well as providing an interface for an AccuGrade system.

60 Skid Steer Grapple Root Rake Attachment fits Bobcat
US $2,988.00

McLaren Industries Rubber Over Tire Tracks USED
US $3,500.00

RUBBER TRACK for CAT 267 267B 277 277B
US $2,050.00

Skid Steer Trencher Attachment Bobcat Gehl Mustang ASV
US $4,288.00

Skid Steer Street Sweeper Broom Bobcat CAT Attachment
US $3,688.00

2002 DAEWOO SKID STEER LOADER NO RESERVE
US $6,200.00

40th Annual Power Show Ohio

admin — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 18:54:31 +0000

40th Annual Power Show Ohio
January 29, 30 & 31, 2010
Ohio Expo Center
Columbus, Ohio

“40 Shows and Still Going Strong”

Power Show Ohio has solutions on display. When it comes to new technology, the greening of the power equipment industry and safety, Power Show Ohio will draw together the innovators and products that will inspire customers. Showcasing a wide variety of power equipment, Power Show Ohio will be a perfect opportunity for full-time farmers, part-time farmers, landscapers, contractors, commercial cutters, municipalities and all equipment users to see and learn just about everything there is to know about power equipment.

Power Show Ohio has become an event not to miss for all types of users of all kinds of power equipment. January 29, 30 and 31, thousands of visitors will explore the more than 600 brands of equipment. This annual show displays the newest and best in tractors, skid steer loaders, commercial mowing equipment, all terrain vehicles, grain handling, computer software, fence building, hay equipment, buildings, backhoes, logging equipment, compact tractors, livestock equipment and a number of exhibits from colleges and universities. Special daily educational seminars, door prizes, cooking demonstrations and the National Kiddie Tractor Pull are also featured.

Power Show Ohio will span three days and fully fill four buildings on the grounds of the Ohio Expo Center. A scene that could be described as a “power equipment extravaganza.”
Given its staging at a time of year when buyers are ready to buy and manufacturers have their newest product introductions in place, the show garners the spotlight in the equipment industry.
From its humble beginning in 1971, Power Show Ohio has grown to nearly six times its original size. The first Power Show Ohio had 51 exhibitors and covered 54,000 square feet. The 2010 show will encompass 300,000 square feet with nearly 250 exhibitors.
Power Show Ohio is held at the Ohio Expo Center just off Interstate 71 at Exit 111 in Columbus, Ohio. Admission is $5 per person, with children ages 12 and under admitted free. For a full schedule events, hours and ticket information visit Power Show Ohio online at www.omeda.org/powershow.

Now, as the 40th annual show draws near, Power Show Ohio continues to represents the complete power equipment industry the way no other show does.

Komatsu’s Hybrid Excavator ‘Swings’ into Action

admin — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 00:55:56 +0000

By Andrew Baltazar, Associate Editor, Construction Equipment

According to Komatsu, the Hybrid PC200LC-8 excavator sips fuel and cuts down on emissions.

Hybrid technology is all the rage these days. Carmakers continue to add hybrid vehicles to their product line-ups, and in the last few years, construction-equipment manufacturers also have entered the game. Volvo, for instance, will soon bring a hybrid wheel loader to the market, and Doosan and Kobelco both are developing a hybrid excavator.
In North America, the first equipment manufacturer to get out of the gate with a large hybrid excavator is Komatsu, which has begun putting its Hybrid PC200LC-8 into the hands of U.S. suppliers. Komatsu began selling the hybrid excavator to Japanese construction companies in mid-2008 and to Chinese companies in August 2009.

Taking a cue from hybrid cars, which produce energy from the friction of braking, the Hybrid PC200LC-8 generates electricity each time the operator brings the swing arm to a stop. AC energy created by the stopping force is sent through an inverter to convert it to DC energy, and then stored in a capacitor.

Unlike hybrid cars that use a battery to store and discharge electricity gradually, Komatsu’s hybrid excavator employs a capacitor instead because of the high amount of force needed to drive the arm. When the capacitor receives DC energy from the inverter, it discharges the energy in a powerful burst to assist the swing arm or the engine.

“With a capacitor, we can store energy and have instantaneous energy available,” says Komatsu project manager Sean Maloon, “where as a battery would have to wait for a chemical reaction for it to work.”
Also powering the excavator is a generator motor located in between the engine and the hydraulic pump. The generator charges the capacitor when the swing arm is not in use, and it receives energy from the capacitor to help drive the engine.
In terms of performance, the 138-horsepower Hybrid PC200LC-8 is virtually indistinguishable from its non-hybrid brother, Maloon says. Both the hybrid and conventional versions of the PC200LC-8 have an operating weight range of 43,643 and 47,260 pounds. Both excavators also have a digging arm force of 27,780 pounds, swing torque of 49,907 foot-pounds, and digging depth of 21 feet 9 inches. Boom, stick and bucket cycle times remain unchanged.

The differences come into play when measuring fuel use and emissions. According to Komatsu, the Hybrid PC200LC-8 consumes 25 to 41 percent less fuel than its non-hybrid counterpart. It also produces less carbon-dioxide emissions; in an hour of operation, the hybrid excavator emits 22 pounds less C02.

The hybrid system is not solely responsible for the reduction in fuel consumption. While the conventional PC200LC-8 runs on a 6-cylinder engine, the hybrid is powered by a 4-cylinder engine. As a result, the hybrid excavator runs at lower idle.
“We lower the cylinder output and the engine RPM, and we use the generator motor and the stored energy in the capacitor to assist this 4-cylinder engine to act like a 6-cylinder engine,” Maloon says. “Less cylinders mean we burn less fuel.”

Because the excavator produces energy via the swing arm, operators will see more fuel savings the more they use the swing function, Maloon says.

“Fuel consumption is far less than a standard machine when you are loading a truck or digging a ditch -- doing a lot of swinging applications,” Maloon says. “If you are not doing a lot of swing applications, then you’re not going to be save as much fuel.”
The cab hosts just a couple of minor changes. The LCD monitor, for example, now displays a readout and status of the hybrid system. Also, just below the monitor sits a red button, which, if engaged, shuts off swing-arm operation in the event that the hybrid system malfunctions.

Komatsu says it is currently able to produce 100 Hybrid PC200LC-8 excavators each month at its Japan facilities. For now, Komatsu is distributing 10 units of the hybrid excavator to construction companies in U.S. regions that have strict emissions requirements.

Below, Komatsu's Sean Maloon explains how the Hybrid PC200LC-8 generates energy and how operators can montior the hybrid system.

Deere’s Ultimate Skid Steer Smackdown Takes a ‘D-Tour’

admin — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:58:15 +0000

MOLINE, IL - The Ultimate Skid Steer Smackdown takes a "D-Tour" with the launch of John Deere's new D-Series skid steers and compact track loaders (CTLs), including stops at trade shows and real job sites so operators can check out the company's hottest pieces of compact iron.

Video from the tour's first stop, the ICUEE Demo Expo in Louisville, Kentucky, is now up on www.skidsteersmackdown.com. In it, contractors give their impressions of the new units right after tackling a Smackdown-type course.

"There's no substitute for getting in the cab and experiencing what a machine's all about," said Sam Norwood, manager, John Deere Commercial Worksite Products. "That's why we're taking Smackdown on the road with these new units. Plus, contractors literally told us what they wanted in these new models, so follow the D-Tour on and find out how we responded."

John Deere's www.skidsteersmackdown.com Web site, entering its third season, has featured real contractors using Deere machines to complete various tasks and competitions inspired by real job site conditions, as well as battles pitting Deere units vs. competitors.
The site also offers a chance to blog about the videos, a "Prove It!" section that details machine specs and conditions behind each battle, and a dealer locator to help viewers find their nearest John Deere dealer.

Visitors can also share the videos with friends and request a quote on Deere skid steer and compact track loader models. The videos from Smackdown's Season One are now available in Spanish.

Be sure to look for new videos on www.skidsteersmackdown.com as the D-Tour continues across the country.
New John Deere D-Series skid steer models are the 318D, 320D, 326D, 328D and 332D, joining the existing small-frame, radial lift 313 and 315. For the CTL line, the new 319D, 323D, 329D and a 90-hp 333D join the small-frame, radial lift CT315.

60 Skid Steer Grapple Root Rake Attachment fits Bobcat
US $2,988.00

Skid Steer Trencher Attachment Bobcat Gehl Mustang ASV
US $4,288.00

John Deere 7775 Skid Steer Loader Diesel
US $5,200.00

Skid Steer Street Sweeper Broom Bobcat CAT Attachment
US $3,688.00

2002 John Deere 240 Skid Steer Loader
US $9,500.00

2002 DAEWOO SKID STEER LOADER NO RESERVE
US $6,200.00

Bobcat A300 All Wheel Steer Loader Cab Heat AIR 2 Speed
US $17,100.00

JOHN DEERE CT322 COMPACT TRACK LOADER SKID STEER
US $24,900.00

Maximizing Efficiency in Construction

admin — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:18:16 +0000

By Daniel C. Brown

The latest generation of machine-control equipment is helping a South Carolina contractor to slash by one-third the time an airport runway project would have taken with conventional survey crews and manual machine control.
Removing old Runway 03-21 and building the new one will take just 200 days—and require only one survey crew—at Charleston Air Force Base, says Brent Evans, project manager for Banks Construction Co. in Charleston. By contrast, it would require two survey crews and take 300 days to do the project with conventional equipment, Evans estimates. Banks is doing the earthmoving and base construction for the project under a $26 million joint venture contract held with two partners, Summers Concrete Contracting of Hahira, GA, and RC Contracting Co Inc. of Greenwood, MS. The general contractor is Northwind Inc. of Idaho Falls, ID.
Work on the joint venture began with the demolition of the old 7,000-foot runway. That involved milling the 8-inch asphalt surface and breaking the concrete under it with a guillotine hammer. Broken concrete was loaded into trucks and hauled to an onsite crushing plant, where it was recycled for base material under the new runway.
For the rough grading, Banks used two bulldozers, both equipped with Topcon’s latest global navigation satellite system (GNSS) machine-control technology, 3D-MC2. The technology automates blade control to maximize the efficiency of the dozer. On the machine, 3D-MC2 uses a rugged antenna mounted to a shock-absorbing pole connected to the blade. A receiver box is mounted in a secure location on the machine.
The joint venture uses an onsite base station to which satellites send positioning data. Satellites also send positioning data to the machine’s receiver. Together, the base station and machine provide real-time kinetic (RTK) position information that reveals the machine’s three-dimensional location on the site. Software compares the machine’s position with the design grade at a given location.
The project’s design firm, A.D.C. Engineering Inc. of Hanahan, SC, had produced a CAD file, which RC Construction used to create a digital terrain model (DTM). Banks then loaded the DTM into two Topcon FC-200 data collectors, and also into the control boxes on the two dozers—one a Caterpillar D6N and the other a John Deere 750J. The control boxes update positioning data and send signals to the hydraulic valves on the dozers. In turn, the valves control the blade, which is automatically positioned for elevation and slope. Other sensors inform the control box of certain machine conditions. For example, dozers are equipped with a slope (tilt) sensor on the blade to measure the cross-slope of the cutting edge. The system can also be run in “indicate mode,” which permits manual control according to position information on a display in the cab.
Evans figures his firm spent approximately $300,000 for Topcon machine-control and survey equipment in connection with the Charleston Air Force Base project. On this and other projects, the equipment will soon pay for itself in reduced surveying costs and improved machine-control efficiency, says Evans. If Banks were building a second airport project like this one, the two projects together would return the investment in machine-control equipment.
Why did the company buy from Topcon? “One reason was local support,” says Richard Rhode, survey superintendent. “We get local support through Carolina Positioning, our Topcon dealer. They give us excellent technical support when we need it.”
100 Times per Second
The primary benefit of Topcon’s 3D-MC2 system is speed, and, therefore, higher production. “A dozer operator running Topcon’s 3D-MC2 can easily double the speed of grading compared to conventional manual control,” says Louis Limehouse, the grading manager for Banks. The 3D-MC2 system uses Topcon’s GX-60 control box, GPS+ antenna, MC-R3 receiver and new 3D-MC2 sensor, coupling them with new controlling software to provide position updates at up to 100 times per second. The sensor combines a gyro, a compass, and an inertial sensor to measure the X-Y-and-Z position as well as the roll, pitch, yaw, and acceleration of the dozer.
Rough-grading for the new runway required moving some 30,000 cubic yards of earth to fills on new safety aprons, one at each end of the new runway. Cuts averaged about 8 or 9 inches in depth. With the two dozers, Banks brought the grade to within one-tenth of a foot of the desired elevation. Compaction followed with a Caterpillar CS 563D single-drum vibratory roller. “We put a lot of compactive effort into the subgrade to meet the required densities,” says Evans.
To fine-grade the subgrade, Banks used a Caterpillar 12H motor grader controlled by Topcon’s latest local positioning system (LPS), a GPT 9001A robotic total station. Richard Rhode, survey superintendent, earlier had surveyed the site with a Topcon GR-3 GPS to establish 34 control points at 200-foot intervals along the runway. So Banks crews simply set up the robotic total station on the control points and loaded the control file into the total station, or “gun” as it is called. To control the grader, the total station automatically tracks a prism on the grader and the blade responds by following the control file’s instructions.
“We used the robotic total station to get the fine grade to within 0.04 foot,” said Rhode. “The Topcon LPS does an excellent job in establishing the desired grades.”
With the subgrade finished, Banks began placing a 5-inch separation layer of crushed concrete that was recycled from the old runway. In similar fashion to the dirt, that material was rough graded with the GPS-equipped dozers to within one-tenth of a foot. The Cat 12H motorgrader, fitted with a prism and guided by the robotic total station, brought the separation layer to within 0.04 foot.
Placing the Drainage Layer
The Topcon LPS also came in handy for controlling the screed on an asphalt paver to place a drainage layer of cement-treated stone. Banks worked with Carolina Positioning to enable the prism to switch from the motor grader to the paver. As trucks unload cement-treated base into the paver, it inches along with its screed controlled by the robotic total station. The drainage layer required compaction with a Caterpillar CS 563D roller, so the paver was programmed with an offset to leave the cement-treated stone about 0.13 foot high, says Doug Brill, assistant superintendent. That number varied depending on the mixture of cement and stone, so Brill would adjust it as required.
Banks set up the robotic total station to work 800-foot-long sections of runway at once. The total station occupied a control point midway in each 800-foot section. Then the paver, working 14-feet wide in each pass, would pave ahead for 800 feet, back up, and repeat the process in the adjacent pass.
Brill was checking grade behind the paver with a Topcon GR-3 rover and FC-200 data collector on the day we visited the project. “It’s working great,” he said. “I just love this system; it’s awesome. We usually spend tens of thousands of dollars to have a bunch of surveyors around, and now we don’t have to do that. This system will put us way ahead of the competition in bidding for work. Plus, there is no guesswork involved.”
“The accuracy of the local positioning system is top-notch,” says Rhode. “It’s just as good as an engineer’s level—the system is operated by a Topcon GPT 9001, a robotic total station with an accuracy of one second.”
The composition of the safety overruns at each end of the runway is somewhat different from the runway itself. Banks graded the subgrade with the dozers equipped with 3D-MC2 and used the dozers to dump and spread base material as well. The base consists of 5 inches of crushed concrete topped with 11 inches of crushed granite. The Caterpillar 12H motorgrader, equipped with Topcon’s Local Positioning System, fine-graded the base stone. When the base is finished, Banks will pave the safety overruns with 3 inches of asphalt.
Banks officials are very enthusiastic about Topcon survey and machine-control equipment.
“What’s really slick about this equipment is that a simple rover can give you cuts and fills anywhere onsite,” says Rhode. “I take the rover pole and just try to find some errors in our grade, and I can’t find any. You don’t see any stakes anywhere on this site. We knew the dirt was on grade, we knew the separation layer was on grade, and we knew the drainage layer was on grade.”

Author's Bio: Daniel C. Brown is the owner of TechniComm, a communications business based in Des Plaines, IL.

JCB TELETRUK offers improved visibility for users

admin — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:52:24 +0000

The British company JCB is touting its Teletruk, which provides forklift users with a telescopic boom that allows far better forwards visibility of the load than vertical channels and chains of a conventional mast. Fully lowered, a three-stage mast inevitably presents poor forwards vision to the operator.
The Teletruk follows along with the company’s focus, which has been based on providing customers with versatility. The Teletruk is a small machine with conventional lift capacities, but with a telescopic arm upon which various attachments can be changed quickly.
An added feature with the Teletruk is that not only does the product offer versatility, but also has taken design steps to improve operational safety by making design changes. (To watch a video of Teltruck in operation, click here)
With the Teletruk, an operator has this clear view ahead because there’s no mast obscuring the driver’s vision. Secondly, the forwards reach boom can reach to pick product from one side of a highway truck only, and therefore does not have to work from both sides of a flat-bed trailer. Thirdly there’s a clear view ahead inside a dark container.
In discussing the product, JCB notes that there are only two facets to increasing safety. The first is to ensure that forklifts operate in clearly designated work zones, alongside but separate to pedestrian-only zones. The second is to reduce or eliminate the need for forklifts to travel across any ‘blind’ corners which might well conceal an ‘at-risk’ pedestrian.
While these issues are addressed in many warehouses, in external settings pedestrians are more likely to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The growing interest in using these skid steer loaders in an external environment led Sims Metal Management to purchase 22 new JCB Teletruk forklift trucks for use at its End of Life Vehicle depollution facilities in the United Kingdom.
The TLT 35D machines have been designed to meet Sims’ exacting safety requirements. The requirements include twin-front wheels for stability, long forks on a rotator attachment for greater flexibility in vehicle handling and an in-cab screen. The screen displays images from two cameras located at the rear of the cab to ensure maximum vision when reversing and maneuvering.
Sims Metal Management processes around 400,000 ELVs a year in the UK.
John Mitchell, JCB's Industrial Markets Manager, says, "The JCB Teletruk is designed to lift the same loads as conventional masted counterbalanced forklifts. However, the telescopic arm allows attachments to be changed easily and quickly. This means that one Teletruk can do a number of jobs, and does not have to be assigned to just one. For example, a conventional forklift with a bale clamp will lift only bales. For work with forks another machine will have to be on site.
"Additionally there is a need to operate with shovels for loose loads. But a shovel works very poorly indeed when fitted to a conventional masted forklift. For one thing, the shovel sits tight against the mast channels and lifting chains. Contamination is an ever-present certainty."
" Secondly," Mitchell adds, "A shovel cannot be rotated very much at all because the rotation of a conventional forklift carriage is dictated by the tilt capability of the mast. Which is very little. This is inevitably the case because the primary role of a conventional industrial forklift has always been to lift palletised loads into warehouse racking, and therefore extensive tilt rotation is not required and was never a design parameter.
"But on a Teletruk there is no mast, no chains and no rollers or guides, so no chance of contamination. Also, the telescopic arm is designed to reach forwards and, like the larger off-highway telescopics, is designed to offer full carriage rotation.
"This is ideal to accept a shovel. Therefore all that is required is a quick-disconnect device to allow several attachments to be used on just one host machine. This is entirely the case on the JCB Teletruk. But it is unique."
"Safety of our employees is our top priority. So when the time came to review our forklift truck requirements back in 2005, although we knew we wanted a fork-truck with better stability and greater versatility, it was imperative that the design included the best possible safety features to ensure the safety of both the operator and employees in the immediate vicinity,” said Paul Colledge, Sims’ group purchasing controller.
“We contacted JCB and worked closely with the JCB in-house design team to produce the required operational and safety specifications. It is testament to their expertise that we were able to produce what we believe to be the safest bespoke forklift truck on the market.”
“Although the Teletruk was designed with ELV vehicle depollution in mind, such is its versatility, we have deployed one for use in our fridge recycling plant in Newport, where we are equally delighted with its performance,” Colledge added.

Vermeer S800TX Mini Skid Steer Offers Versatile Performance

admin — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:20:12 +0000

Vermeer Corporation introduces the Vermeer S800TX mini skid steer. This new ride-on machine features a rated tip capacity of 2,400 pounds (1089 kg) and rated SAE operating capacity of 840 pounds (381 kg), all in a compact frame, enabling contractors to lift and transport pallets and bucket loads in and around confined spaces.

The S800TX is powered by a 35-horsepower (26.1 kW) diesel engine, providing ideal power and breakout force. Measuring just 40.5 inches (103 cm) in width, the S800TX offers a narrow footprint enhancing maneuverability and access to confined spaces.

The hydraulic system of the S800TX has ideal flow rate, capable of providing 14 gpm (53 L/min) of hydraulic flow that helps more efficiently power a variety of attachments. An optional dual auxiliary hydraulic circuit helps provide operational efficiency with varying attachments. A universal mounting plate allows operators to quickly swap out attachments, making the S800TX extremely versatile in the field.

Features to enhance operator comfort and safety have also been incorporated into the S800TX design, including a spring-cushioned ride-on platform that offers broad jobsite visibility and ease of stepping on and off the machine. An operator presence system, integrated into the ride-on platform, automatically suspends ground drive and powered boom/bucket motion if the operator steps off the platform. Console cushions positioned to the front of the operator and on either side help increase operator comfort, particularly when working on uneven terrain.

The S800TX ground drive is controlled by a single, pilot-operated joystick for a smooth range of motion. Boom / bucket motion is controlled by a single, dual axis joystick.

Heavy Equipment Industries Future Looks Promising According to Investors

admin — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 01:47:09 +0000

NEW YORK -- Bulldozers, backhoes, loaders, tractors, threshers, cranes, plows, graders, excavators, cherry pickers and blasthole drills. They make the vehicles that, when miniaturized, little kids go crazy over.
Lately, investors have as well. The miniaturized versions they're excited about, however, are shares.
When Caterpillar(CAT Quote) reported a strong third quarter this past week, and when mining-equipment maker Bucyrus did the same, investors took note. Caterpillar especially painted a rosy picture of 2010, while Bucyrus(BUCY Quote) boosted optimism around the heavy-equipment sector by reporting a better-than-expected order flow.
Our poll, then, asked the question of this diverse sector, which makes rolling machinery for the construction, mining and agriculture: Which company will benefit the soonest from any global economic recovery next year?
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the big daddy of the group, Caterpillar, took the prize (but only by a slight margin), capturing just below 31% of the vote.
The second-place finisher was a bit more surprising: Manitowoc(MTW Quote), the smallest company in our poll, took almost 21% of your clicks. Perhaps our poll-takers liked the company's diversity. Crane-builder Manitowoc also makes food service equipment used in restaurants and commercial kitchens, like refrigeration systems.
The company will report earnings on Oct. 29, after the market close.
Deere(DE Quote), the iconic farm-equipment manufacturer, which is looking for a rebound in global agricultural activity next year, came in a close third, with nearly 19% of the vote. Deere is slated to release quarterly results on Nov. 25.
The Milwaukee mining twins -- Bucyrus and Joy GlobalCompany (JOYG Quote) -- took in 17% and 11% of the vote (in round numbers), respectively. Joy Global won't announce earnings until December.
Bringing up the rear, in a distant sixth place, was TerexCompany (TEX Quote), which makes construction and mining equipment. The placing -- with just 2% of the votes -- makes sense. Terex reported disappointing results and gave gloomy near-term financial guidance on Oct. 22., which stood in stark contrast to the Bucyrus and Caterpillar reports.